Answering the phone

[Pennies]

Do you always answer the phone when it rings? Even if it's to say that it's an inconvenient time and to ask the caller to ring back or say you'll ring them back?

My dad just gve me a right talking to because the phone rang just after he arrived to see me and the DD's and as we were sitting down to lunch so I said I would just let the answerphone take it.

I generally do this if I am not in a position to take a call - i.e. eating with friends / visiting family, cooking, changing nappies, bed / bath routine.

I call back when I am able to which is generally after 7pm.

My dad says this is very rude of me.

What's the etiquette for this?

nope, I'm the same as you - if I can't get to the phone for whatever reason ( I never rush!) it goes to the answering machine.

No, mainly because we have a cordless handset and I can never find the bloody thing before the answerphone clicks in!

Oh I more often that not leave the damn thing-especially if I don't know who it is.If it important they will ring back and if it is a mate they will leave a message or ring my mobile if they really need to speak to me.

Unfortunately you are rumbled-your Dad will now automatically think you are in and ignoring him if he calls and you don't answer!

How are you finding Welwyn?

It's not rude to leave the phone to ring. It would be rude of anyone to expect you to leave your lunch (and your guests) to take a phone call.

If the call is intrusive then I leave it - I also (and this probably is a bit rude!)screen calls so that if it's someone I don't particularly relish talking to, it goes to the answering machine even if I'm not busy.

Why bother picking it up just to say "sorry, I can't talk right now" when that's exactly what your answering machine does?

Glad I'm not the only one. Loving it Whoooosh!

You're right about him now thinking I'm ignoring him - but he said he knows I do this all the time due to the fact that he says he rings when he KNOWS I'm in, though how he does this when he's 100 miles away is beyond me.

Exactly my point WWB - and I also pointed out to him that when we were growing up it we were not allowed to talk to anyone on the phone during meal times.

Our phone tells us the number that is calling - so handy for me, I can take it to DH if it's MIL or PIL. I tend to ignore it if it rings at certain times, especially because if it was my mum or step MIL, and i said I couldn't talk becasue it was a meal ttime they would start a conversation about why they had phoned and before Iknow it 20 minutes have passed. We don't have an answering machine either, because we got sick of my mum and aunt saying "hello, it's me, are you there?" "Hello, it's me, i just called for ..," and get a long list, thus taking up the whole message space.

Nothing wrong with not wanting to answer the phone. I ignore it if i can't be bothered to talk to people, especially in the evening when I finally have time to just relax.

I hate phones. I often don't answer it - if it's important, the caller will leave a message. Last year I lost my mobile and didn't have one for a couple of weeks, which halved my stress levels.

Does your dad understand they can't see that you are There* but Just not answering The phone

My mum always rings at about 6pm ... which pees me off no end, as she knows that we sit down to dinner then ... mind you, she knows that if we are eating, we ignore the phone, and that I'll phone back later ... perhaps it's her way of talking to me without running up her phone bill ... never thought of that before ... sneaky!

We too, when we were kids, weren't allowed to answer the phone when we were eating dinner...

If it's not convenient then I don't answer it. IMO the phone is there for my convenience, not everyone else's.

I almost always answer it.......I have a strange slight phobia of answer machines (talking to them) so often will hang up if an answer machine comes on......it has to be someone I know really REALLY well, or a extremely important call to get me to leave a message on an answer machine.

i dont answer the phone if i dont feel like it. i also dont answer the door if i dont feel like talking to anyone (friends and other people i like always call first, they know what im like) i really am a grumpy mare

nah. if i don't want to answer it i don't. same with the door. if i don't feel like it, i don't open it (usually if the house is a tip!)

if it's important they'll phone/come back and i'll talk to them then.

probably.

How can it be rude? Before I had caller display I would always let it go onto answer phone and now we have caller display I only answer if I feel like taking the call.

No I don't always answer the phone
Sometimes I can't get to it or I'm trying to dash out the door. We have caller ID so I filter with that too

I am worse with the door. If I don't know you then I probably won't answer it!

yup,, tend to ignore the phone..hoever dh cant stand the thought of not answering (too nosy) so i always have to yell "if its for me im not in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" sigh

Have to its our business

We recently got caller display but it is so annoying when you get up to see whose number is showing and the kids downstairs answer the extension before you get to it (and then bring the other handset upstairs saying "it's someone for you" and it is always 3 or MBNA and I don't want to talk to them).

When my mum was staying and the phone rang I said "oh it's MIL, I'm not answering" so she did and had a long chat with her about me

I usually always answer & say that I will call back. Don't know why, just can't let it ring.

Although when it was a certain aunt, I'd always let it ring....

I virtually never answer the phone - hateful thing.

Caller display is the way to go, and even then I usually let it go to answer phone and ring them back when I feel like talking

If it's not convenient or I just don't feel like talking I don't answer it. If I answered in these circumstances I would only have to try and get them off the phone quickly - there's just no point.